Danish parliament protesters fined

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Saturday November 05, 2005 18:54 by Coilín ÓhAiseadha Máigh Nuad, Co. Cill Dara

Activists will appeal against curtailment of their freedom of expression

Five Danish peace activists were this week sentenced to pay a fine of DKK 3,000 each as a penalty for protesting from the public gallery against the Danish parliament's decision of November last year to extend the duration of Danish troops' participation in the war in Iraq.

The text below is a translation of a press release issued by one of the activists.

Coverage on a Danish anti-war website includes photos of the action and four of the protesters:
http://tinyurl.com/955mx

Sentence for protest against Iraq war in Danish parliament

“Parliament activists”: The right to political protest must be defended

Press release
2 November 2005

The Copenhagen City Court today issued a judgement in favour of the plaintiff in the case against five peace activists who were accused of having disturbed the Danish parliament when, on 25 November last year, during the vote on extension of the Danish troops in Iraq, they unfurled a peace flag from the public gallery and dropped leaflets down into the chamber.

The City Court sentenced them to 10 fine units of DKK 300 each, alternatively to ten days’ prison.

“We should have been found not guilty," say the five activists in a statement. “This case is not about disturbance of the parliament, but about the right to political protest, and that this right is threatened and must be defended. This is a judgement against freedom of expression. The court case clearly documented that the parliament’s proceedings had not been interrupted or disturbed by the action. It was a protest against the parliament taking a decision about prolongation of war that infringes both the Danish constitution and international law.”

The five activists – Ulla Røder, Matilde Dalgård, Carsten Lundsgaard, Rasmus Bang Petersen and Klaus Riis – further state:
“The case has significance as a matter of principle and not as a matter of fines or the size of fines. In these times, where the spectre of terrorism is constantly evoked, it is important that normal, democratic forms of protest not be subject to punishment, and that freedom of expression not be criminalised. As a result, we will seek the permission of the Leave of Appeal Commission to have the case taken up in the High Court.

During the court case and witness testimony, the assertions of the prosecution and defence were starkly opposed to each other. While there was no doubt that this was a political action, there was keen disagreement about whether the parliament was actually disturbed.

Members of the Danish parliament Søren Søndergaard and Villy Søvndal did not remember being disturbed by the action, while the acting president of the parliament during the day-long debate, Kaj Ikast, asserted that the vote had been postponed by several minutes while the whole parliament chamber had stared up in fright at the episode in the public gallery.

However, a video recording that was viewed by the court showed that the whole situation lasted less than half a minute and that the vote was neither postponed nor interrupted, but conducted as normal.

Defence counsel Bjørn Elmquist appealed to the court not to take a formalistic interpretation of the statute but stated that there was no disturbance of the parliament. He referred to the fact that Denmark often congratulates itself on having a broad framework for freedom of expression, e.g. in association with (conservative national newspaper) JyllandsPosten’s 12 drawings of the prophet Muhammad, and that this must also apply when the protest takes another direction.

Despite this, the judge decided to follow the charge sheet.

See more about the case (in Danish) here:
http://www.stopterrorkrigen.dk/emner/aktioner/050901_fredsaktivister_pligt_til_protest.htm
http://www.stopterrorkrigen.dk/emner/fred_dk/050106_politisk%20aktion_paa_anklagebaenken.htm

Further information is available from Klaus Riis – 22 17 24 80